You Are Spying on Me
Lord Huainan's words sent a chill through everyone's bones.
Bella Bell's face turned pale, her whole body trembling so much she could barely stand. Fighting back tears, she shouted at Emperor Leonard the Enlightened, "Leonard Li, was your friendship with me all just a scheme? Was it nothing but calculation from the start!?"
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened shuddered at Bella Bell's words. "Guards, take the Empress back!" he ordered.
"I'm not leaving!" Bella Bell bit her lip, refusing to let her tears fall. She shielded Su Li behind her, taking a defensive stance. "I was originally a guard in Prince Alexander Hayes's manor. With my Prince and Princess Jade Hayes here, I'm not going anywhere!"
"Bella Bell!" Emperor Leonard the Enlightened gritted his teeth and roared, "Are you defying my order?"
Tears shimmered in Bella Bell's eyes. She shot Emperor Leonard the Enlightened a contemptuous look, as if he wasn't even worth another word.
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened gazed at the stubborn Bella Bell, pain flickering in his eyes. Lord Huainan, noticing the emperor's expression, barked, "She's just a woman! What's there to regret? The whole world is yours—what kind of woman can't you have? If she refuses to know her place, let her go and die!"
Lord Huainan finished and shouted, "Prince Alexander Hayes and Princess Jade Hayes are conspiring to assassinate the Emperor and Empress! Guards, execute these two assassins on the spot!"
Suddenly, the imperial guards all shouted in unison. Then came a series of clattering sounds—their shields, bows, and swords were thrown to the ground!
The royal guards, moving as one, tossed their cold weapons at their feet. Then, with perfect coordination, each drew a pistol from their waist, aiming the muzzles squarely at Emperor Leonard the Enlightened and Lord Huainan on the dais.
In the blink of an eye, the tables turned. Lord Huainan and Emperor Leonard the Enlightened hadn’t even processed what was happening before their personal guards were gunned down, collapsing lifeless to the floor.
Just then, the Grand Chamberlain reached into his robe and pulled out a pistol. With a swipe across his face, a disguise mask fell to the ground, revealing the youthful, furious face of Sean Hayes.
"Leonard Li, you backstabbing scoundrel! I actually thought you were a good man once—shared a bed with you, called you brother!" Sean Hayes, still in his chamberlain’s garb and pointing his gun at Leonard Li, spat the words with fury, punctuating his outburst with several disdainful snorts.
Lord Huainan and Emperor Leonard the Enlightened stared at the black muzzles pointed at them, their faces turning paler than ghosts.
The guards surrounding Princess Jade Hayes were all her own people—they immediately stepped aside, clearing the way.
Princess Jade Hayes walked over to stand beside Prince Alexander Hayes. Shoulder to shoulder, the two fixed Lord Huainan and Emperor Leonard the Enlightened with icy, unyielding stares.
Prince Alexander Hayes shook his head. "I've spent over a decade building my network in the capital—do you really think your single year in the palace could compare? Ever since the old emperor’s coup, I’ve planted eyes everywhere in the royal city. Even the Imperial Guards? They’re all my people."
Emperor Leonard the Enlightened’s lips trembled. "You—you’ve been spying on me this whole time?"
Alexander Hayes shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. "Not just you. I monitor everyone who threatens my family. You’d be amazed how much I know."
He flashed a wicked smile. "You should be grateful I’m not the vengeful type. Otherwise, you’d be six feet under by now."